‘The Surreal Life’ star Frankie Muniz looks back on the teen idol years and wonders, ‘Was that real?’

Frankie Muniz knows about the surreal. After all, he was a teen idol.

“I mean, really my whole life, when I think back [on] I did so many incredible things when I was young. People think they’re always like, ‘Oh, are you sad you couldn’t go to prom?'” Muniz, now 36, tells Yahoo Entertainment. “I’ve been to the Emmys and the Golden Globes and traveled a lot all over the world and hanging out at the Playboy Mansion. Almost to the point where I look back and I’m like, ‘Was that real?’”

So, no, he wasn’t broken because he missed prom. He was the star of a hit TV show, Malcolm in the middlewhen he was 14. In his later teens, Muniz also acted in films such as Agent Cody Bankswith Hilary Duff – he was Banks – and Big fat liaralongside Amanda Bynes.

“I remember the first time I was recognized. malcolm It didn’t even premiere, but all the billboards were all over New York City,” says Muniz. That’s where my family lived and I rode the subway and all these people stared at me… I didn’t understand that they might have seen previews or whatever. And people started coming up to me before the show even premiered, ‘You’re going to be on this show.’ And honestly, it was the most incredible feeling ever.”

Muniz ended up starring in seven seasons of malcolmand he has continued to act since it ended in 2006, appearing on shows such as Last Man Standing, Harley Quinn and The beginneras well as movies, including Extreme Movie and Go Hard: The Dewey Cox Story. He has also ventured into professional race car driving and plans to drive full-time for NASCAR next year.

But first he tried reality TV by joining the cast of the upcoming season of The surreal life. The lively show originally aired for six seasons from 2003 to 2006 and spawned countless spin-offs My fair Brady to strange lovewith former cast members Flavor Flav and Brigitte Nielsen, and all his incarnations, inclusive taste of love and rock of love.

The story goes on

Muniz was wary because he’d seen the original, dramatic series, but was told the new iteration was more of a “positive, fun, soul-searching show.” And he thought it would be a challenge.

“I was a little afraid of it [the craziness of the original]and I didn’t know what to expect in terms of who your roommates were going to be because they don’t tell you before you go to the house,” he says, comfort zone, you know, for just having life experiences that I’m into wouldn’t normally put in.

Muniz and the rest of the cast – August Alsina, the musician who had an “entanglement” with Jada Pinkett Smith; singer and reality TV star Tamar Braxton; live single actress and comedian Kim Coles; Porn star Stormy Daniels, who has long claimed an affair with Donald Trump; makeup artist and YouTuber Manny MUA; former WWE star CJ Perry (aka Lana); and former NBA star Dennis Rodman, who really needs no description – filmed the revamped version of the show last year.

“I’m so happy I did it [it], because I feel like I’ve learned a lot about myself. I learned a lot about the other people in the house that I didn’t expect. And I had to do some pretty cool stuff,” says Muniz. “Well, there was definitely drama and all that, that’s just part of bringing eight big people together in one house in Mexico City. But it was both an incredible, incredible experience and it’s definitely one of the craziest things I’ve ever done.”

Up to this point, Muniz says in the trailer, “We’ve all seen Dennis Rodman’s cock.”

One of the actor’s early challenges was not knowing how he would deal with being a roommate because he had never been one.

“I tried to stay relaxed,” he says. “There was enough drama for me not to try to throw more drama into the fire… At the same time, I didn’t back down when I had to defend myself. And there were definitely times when I had to. All of us. But I think the cool thing about the show is that really every conflict has been resolved.

And those conflicts came up early.

“It was, I would say, immediately a bit dramatic with the roommate situation, but me, Kim Coles and Manny MUA, we had this bond for some reason. Instant engagement,” reveals Muniz. “And I’m so happy I got her through this experience because we really kept each other – at least our room – sane. So when things were great, it was great. When things were bad, we had each other. That was a great thing. I’m sure we’re still friends to this day.”

The surreal life It premieres back-to-back episodes on Monday, October 24 at 9 p.m. on VH1.